STRATH-TAIERI.

Otago Witness, Issue 1583, 25 March 1882, Page 12

STRATH-TAIERI.

1 ' ! (FROM OUR OWN OORRESPONDBNT.)

1 | , "' ( ' „ ' ' March 2ofch. ' ' 'Since my last wo" have had some beautiful Weather, and the' winds' have' been taking a rest— a matter for whfch, I assure you, we are' truly thankf ul, "as 'wo are] so 1 much accustomed in this quarter to high winds and blustering) wpather. As a matter of course, while, the sun has been, shining harvest operations have been vigorously pushed forward, and the cutting part of the work,, which has all been 'done' by reaping machines, is/ 1 think, aboutj 'if riot entirely, finished. The heavy rains a fortnight ago thoroughly soaked the' grain in stook ; but we have had some very warm weather.and, drying winds since, which will counteract ■their effects, and, I hope, prevent, much lobs. Wo haftt not had- such heavy rains on the plain, I am told, for fully a year. , Tho creeks were much swollen, and a number of small lagoons formed on the flat and low-lying ground. Owing to the dryness of the climate here, however, the soil soon absorbs the t moisture, which makes, as mentioned before, despite the goodness of some of the land, the production of good crops a Herculean task. Then our distance from the railway, being nearly 40 miles, makes the freight of the produce to market so dear that any profits accruing are . necessarily swallowed up, especially when prices are low. I should say, though I am not a very competent judge, and may sometimes, like other mortals, err in cx r pressing au opinion about things 1 don't fully understand, that the market prices for oats would need to bo 2s or 2s Gd a bushel at least to make anything out of it. It must be a dead lobs to farmers when thoy can only get from Is 2d to Is Gd, as was tho case a year or two ago. I suppose it pays the millers, too, better when grain is selling at a good figuro ; indeed, I know, from a high authority in thia matter, that they can clear ' more when they buy in a dear market. When the iron horse is snorting through the Plain by-and-bye things • will be greatly improved in every respect.! There are few places, I should say, within 50 miles of Dunedin so completely locked up as the btrath-iTaien, but now that the Government have realised.such a large sum from tho sale of the leases of the runs I presume the much- needed Otago' Central will be more rapidly pushed forward. It will bo a redletter day on the Plain when the long-looked lor and much-talked of railway is completed, and I am sure both our wealthy squatters and poorer settlers will make it a day of jubilee. Meantime we must remember that " Rome was not built in a day," and bo content to sing— "

" There's a good time coming, boysWait a little longer."

The turnip crop here has been greatly improved by the rains, and generally speaking is very good, so that our sheep and cattle will be well fed this whiter, and be in the land of Qoshen for a time.

Mr Armstrong, one of the Government surveyors, has been very busy for some time surveying the land reserved for settlement adjacent to the Taieri river, on the Cotiesbrook Station, and will, I understand, be occupied with the work for two or three months longer. From what I know of part of the land, which is very rough and full of huite boulders, I fear the settlers will not be numerous, and that they won't make large fortunes ; but time will show whether or not I am justified in making these statements. I believe out of all tho thousands of acres reserved for settlement thoro will not l>e more than 1 3000 of really good agricultural land, whioh.liea on -the flat by tho river banks. With that exception, tho rest, is certainly only fit for pabtoral purposes. „ I omitted to chronicle at tho time tho great improvements our district roads have undergone. Two or three good culverts have been made near our postojfice and local Btorc, 1 which were greatly needed, and were of good service during, the timo of the Loavy rains recently, Tho Hoyal Mail coach (duly advertised in your columns), which loaves Outraui ovory Friday night, has no longer to splash through a little sea of mud and dirty water clobo to tho post-office, and our school children, in reasonable weather, can get to school dryshod, and without being under the disagreeable necessity of unduly stretching their limbs by jumping water ruts and ditches, Tho teacher (Mr Purves) resumed tho evening- ert'ieational dass for young men in tho beginning of this month, which I hope will be laigol'y taken advnutago of. Seven were enrolled tho flraC night, which was a wry fair start, but a number more, 1 think, in a district like this— whore so many youni,' men are employed on tho stations— might find it profitable to ; attend. The class meets in the school) oom three j timo3 a week— viz., on Monday, Wednesday, and Friilay, from 7.30 to 9.80. The fee is £1 quarterly. Tho Sunday service is regularly conducted by the teacher in tho Schoolroom at 2.30, and is still, I am glad to say, largely attended in favourable weather, many of the people coming long distances. A choir ,

has just been started t6 improve the slngingr, and I am sure will be a valuable adjunct. I hope all who can will kindly help in this matter. The choir practice will be held every Thursday evening. By-and-bye we intend to have a harmonium, for, despite all the old wives' talk about the " kist o' whistles " and " worshipping God by machinery," the majority here firmly believe that instrumental music is a- great help in the important serrice of Praise, and that the Presbyterian Church would do well to take a loaf out of the English Church Book in this respect. We should praise God, not in the worst, as some Churches apparently believe, but in the best possible style; and in these days I cannot but think that were the exhortation of the sweet singer of Israel in Psalm cl. 3— to "praise .Him with stringed instruments and, organs"— more largely acted upon, our churches would bo better attended 'than they are, and the public worship of the Great Jehovah would be made moreSnteresting and profitable. It would, I humbly ihinki be only making use of a legitimate meanß of attra<3ting,people,tothe House of God and imparting fresh ilife to sleepy congregations. If we cling with eagerj tenacity to the truths of the Old Testamont dispensation in such a matter as the "marriage with a deceased wife's sister," and a thousand other things, we cannot surely go far wrong, nor do great injustice to the orthodoxy of our Presbyterianism or any o ( ther " ism "if wo carry out the psalmist's exhortation in the matter of praising God.